AI-generated image
Besugo a la donostiarra
Sea bream with garlic vinegar dressing
Besugo a la donostiarra: San Sebastián's Christmas Eve sea bream with a sizzling garlic and vinegar dressing
For many San Sebastián families, Christmas Eve dinner isn't complete without a whole sea bream, roasted or grilled and finished with a refrito: hot olive oil with sliced garlic, dried chilli and a splash of vinegar poured over at the table. The traditional fish is red sea bream (besugo), but gilt-head bream works well. A common mistake is letting the garlic go dark brown, which makes the dressing bitter; take it off when it is pale gold. Chef's tip: cut a few slashes into the thick part of the fish so it cooks evenly and the dressing soaks in.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the fish
- 2 ⅝ lb whole sea bream, scaled and guttedor 2 smaller fish
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the refrito
- ½ cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 1 small dried red chillibroken in half
- 2 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
To serve
- 4 lemon wedges (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F. Pat the 2 ⅝ lb whole sea bream, scaled and gutted dry, make 3 deep slashes on each side and season inside and out with 1 tsp salt.
5 minStep 2: Lay it on an oiled roasting tray, brush with 2 tbsp olive oil and roast for 20–25 minutes, until the eye is white, the skin is crisp and the flesh near the bone is opaque and lifts away easily (145°F at the thickest part).
25 minStep 3: A few minutes before the fish is ready, warm ½ cup olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add 5 cloves garlic and 1 small dried red chilli and fry for 1–2 minutes, until the garlic is pale gold and smells nutty.
2 minStep 4: Take the pan off the heat and carefully add 2 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar, standing back as it spits. Swirl and pour over the fish straight away, then scatter with 1 tbsp chopped parsley.
1 minStep 5: Bring the tray to the table and lift fillets off the bone, spooning over the dressing from the tray.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does besugo a la donostiarra take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of small dried red chilli?
- ½ tsp chilli flakes per chilli.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Moreton Bay bugsSlipper lobster with garlic butter
Moreton Bay bugs are the flat, shovel-nosed slipper lobsters caught off the Queensland coast around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, and for Queenslanders they are a summer treat, split and grilled at the beach house. The tail meat is sweet and rich, somewhere between lobster and prawn. Buy them raw, frozen or fresh, from a fishmonger and ask them to halve them if you like. A common mistake is overcooking, which makes the meat rubbery; it is ready the moment it turns white. Chef's tip: grill flesh side down first to mark it, then turn and baste in the shell.
Australian
Midia saganakiMussels with tomato and feta
Thessaloniki is Greece's mussel capital, with farms in the Thermaic Gulf a few kilometres from the seafront ouzeries where this two-handled pan arrives, still bubbling, at the table. Mussels steam open in a quick sauce of peppers, tomato and chilli, and crumbled feta melts into the juices at the end. Bread is essential. The classic version adds a splash of ouzo; this one is alcohol-free, using a pinch of fennel seed for that aniseed note (add 2 tbsp ouzo with the tomatoes if you like). Common mistake: overcooking — take the pan off the heat as soon as the shells open. Chef's tip: buy mussels on the day and keep them in the fridge in a bowl covered with a damp cloth, never in water.
Greek
Arroz con pitu de caleyaSoupy rice with chicken
A pitu de caleya is a cockerel raised free in the lanes, or caleyas, of rural Asturias; its firm, flavourful meat needs long stewing, and families around Villaviciosa and Grado still cook it for feast days. The stew is often finished as a soupy rice, so the deep chicken juices go into every grain. Use the best free-range chicken you can find. The braise includes dry white wine; replace it with extra stock and a squeeze of lemon if you want it alcohol-free. Chef's tip: brown the chicken slowly and deeply; that colour is where the flavour of the whole pot comes from.